Utah State (16-6, 6-2) will continue Western Athletic Conference play this week as it hosts Idaho (10-10, 2-6) on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 9 p.m. USU and Idaho will be meeting for the 44th time this week with the Aggies holding a 31-12 all-time advantage, which includes a 13-1 record at home.

GAME DAY HEADLINES
 Utah State is in its 105th season of basketball and has an overall record of 1,417-1,000 (.586). USU hasn't had a losing season since the 1992-93 campaign, a span of 16 years, when that team finished with a 10-17 record.

 Utah State is riding a season-high six-game winning streak and has won 10 of its last 12 games after starting the year with a 6-4 record. USU's six-game winning streak is currently tied for the 12th-longest in the nation. USU has also won 19 straight WAC games at home and 28 of its last 29 at home overall.

 Utah State is 170-13 (.929) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum under head coach Stew Morrill, which includes an 87-8 (.916) record against conference opponents and a 32-3 (.914) mark against WAC teams. Overall, USU is 463-106 (.814) in this its 40th year in the building.

 Utah State has won eight straight home games and 60 of its last 62 home games dating back to the 2005-06 season with its only losses during that stretch coming against Saint Mary's, 68-63, on Dec. 5, 2009 and against Fresno State, 71-66, on March 3, 2007.

 Utah State has won 25 of its last 29 WAC games dating back to the 2007-08 season as it has won back-to-back WAC Championships sharing the regular season title in 2008 with a 12-4 record and winning the outright title in 2009 with a 14-2 mark. During the last three years, USU is 32-8 (.800) in WAC play.

 Utah State will be making its third of seven regular season appearances this year on ESPN Wednesday night against Idaho. Overall, USU teams have won 24 of its last 32 games that have been televised by ESPN, which includes a 1-1 record this year as it lost at New Mexico State, 55-52, and won at Nevada in overtime, 79-72.

 Utah State is one of just three teams in the nation to win at least 23 games in each of the last 10 seasons along with Gonzaga and Kansas. During the last 10 years, Utah State has averaged 25.2 wins per season.

 Stew Morrill (283-97) is the winningest coach in Utah State history and is second all-time in games coached (380) behind E. Lowell Romney (382). Morrill is also the second-longest tenured coach at USU (12th season) behind Romney (1920-41). With two home games this week, Morrill will tie Romney for the most games coached in school history.

NEXT UP
Utah State (16-6, 6-2) will continue Western Athletic Conference play this week as it hosts Idaho (10-10, 2-6) on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 9 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 with Todd Harris (play-by-play) and Adrian Branch (color) calling the action.

UTAH STATE VS. IDAHO RIVALRY ONE OF THE OLDEST IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Utah State and Idaho will be playing for the 44th time this week in what is the 17th-oldest rivalry in school history. USU's first game against UI was during the 1945-46 season.

LOOKING AT UTAH STATE
Utah State is 16-6 on the season and 6-2 in the Western Athletic Conference following its 77-58 home win against San Jose State last weekend. USU is led by junior forward Tai Wesley who is averaging 13.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 71.6 percent at the free throw line. Senior guard Jared Quayle is averaging 12.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, while shooting 40.7 percent from the field, 45.3 percent from three-point range and 91.1 percent at the free throw line, and junior forward Nate Bendall is averaging 10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds, while shooting 57.8 percent from the field and 82.1 percent from the free throw line. As a team, Utah State is averaging 73.3 points and is shooting 48.3 percent from the field, 41.6 percent from three-point range and 76.5 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, USU is allowing 59.7 points per game and its opponents are shooting 39.8 percent from the field, 33.2 percent from three-point range and 71.3 percent from the free throw line.

LOOKING AT UTAH STATE DURING ITS CURRENT SIX-GAME WINNING STREAK
During its current six-game winning streak, Utah State is scoring 77.3 points and shooting 52.1 percent from the field, 50.5 percent from three-point range and 72.1 percent at the free throw line. Defensively, USU is allowing 55.7 points during its last six games and its opponents are shooting 35.8 percent from the field, 31.2 percent from three-point range and 63.0 percent at the free throw line. USU is also out-rebounding its opponents by 7.5 boards (37.0-29.5) during its six-game winning streak and out-scoring its opponents by 21.7 points.

AGGIES ALMOST UNBEATABLE WHEN HOLDING ITS OPPONENTS UNDER 60 POINTS
Utah State has traditionally been very successful when holding its opponents under 60 points as it is 10-1 this year with its one loss coming at New Mexico State, 55-52. In fact, USU has won 83 of its last 85 games when allowing fewer than 60 points and is 148-12 (.925) when holding its opponents under 60 points under Coach Morrill.

AGGIES AT THE HALF
Utah State is 14-2 this year and 222-23 (.906) over the last 11 years when leading at the half. Conversely, USU is 2-4 this year and 39-58 (.402) during the last 11 years when trailing at the half.

UTAH STATE RANKS AMONG TOP 23 IN THE NATION IN NINE DIFFERENT STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
As of Feb. 1, Utah State ranks among the top-23 in the nation in nine different statistical categories including being sixth in both free throw shooting (.765) and three-point shooting (.416). USU also ranks seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.44), 15th in turnovers per game (11.1), 15th in scoring margin (+13.5), 17th in scoring defense (59.7), 18th in field goal shooting (.483), 23rd in rebounding margin (+6.1) and 23rd in assists per game (16.0). Individually, junior forward Tai Wesley ranks 18th in field goal shooting (.561) and senior guard Jared Quayle ranks 61st in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.16).

COMPUTER RANKINGS
As of Feb. 1, Utah State has an RPI of 55 and a strength of schedule of 116 according to RealTiimeRPI, while the WAC is ranked 10th as a conference. USU also has a sagarin rating of 48 according to USAToday.com.

FOLLOWING THE IDAHO GAME
Utah State will conclude its three-game homestand on Saturday, Feb. 6 when it hosts Nevada (13-8, 5-3) in a game that will be televised live on ESPNU at 8 p.m., with Todd Harris (play-by-play) and Bob Donewald (color) calling the action.

RECAPPING THE SAN JOSE STATE GAME
Junior forward Nate Bendall's career-high 20 points and career-best tying 10 rebounds combined with sophomore forward Brady Jardine's career-high 17 points to lead Utah State to a 77-58 win against San Jose State Saturday night. Bendall registered his third double-double of the season, as he and Jardine were joined in double-figures by junior guard Pooh Williams with 14 points. Williams hit three three-pointers, helping USU make half of its shots behind the arc (9-18) on the night. The Aggies also topped the 50.0 percent shooting mark, netting 54.2 percent (32-59). USU only made five trips to the free throw line, making four and tying a season-low for attempts. SJSU was led by Adrian Oliver's 19 points while Mac Peterson tallied 11 points. The Spartans were limited to just 6-of-28 (.214) from the field in the second half as the Aggies out-scored them, 38-22, in the second stanza. For the game, SJSU was 19-of-52 (.365) field goal shooting, hitting 7-of-23 (.304) from three-point range and 13-of-15 (.867) at the free pitch stripe. Jardine's career-best 17 points off the bench led USU to a 25-10 bench scoring advantage and the Aggies had a dominating 42-18 edge in points in the paint. Bendall's career-best tying 10 rebounds paced Utah State to a 32-27 rebounding advantage, improving to 15-5 when out-rebounding the opposition. It was the 20th time in 22 games that USU had more rebounds then its opponent. The Aggies dished out 20 assists while only committing seven turnovers, the sixth time this season that USU had a single-digit in the turnover column. SJSU had eight miscues. USU was led by junior forward Tai Wesley's five assists, while Williams and senior guard Jared Quayle distributed four each. SJSU's Justin Graham doled out a game-high six helpers. Bendall and Wesley hit back-to-back buckets to open the scoring for USU and the Aggies later led 17-7 after a three-pointer by Williams at the 12:46 mark. The Spartans stormed back to force a 29-all tie at the 4:38 mark on a three-pointer by Peterson. SJSU took its first lead of the night at 36-34 with 1:58 to go on a jumper by Graham before the Aggies scored the last five points of the half, on a Bendall layup and a Quayle three-pointer with nine ticks remaining gave USU a 39-36 halftime edge. USU opened a 48-38 lead three and a half minutes into the second half, started by a three-pointer by junior guard Tyler Newbold and capped by a Bendall layup. The Aggie advantage grew to 17 at 65-48 after a Quayle three-pointer at the 6:55 mark. The Spartans trimmed the gap to 13 twice, but couldn't get any closer as Jardine put an exclamation point on the night with a steal and slam dunk with 47 ticks left and had a layup 30 seconds later for USU's largest lead of the night at 77-56. Oliver hit a pair of free throws with 11 seconds to go for the final margin.

NOTE-ABLES FROM THE SAN JOSE STATE GAME
Utah State shot at least 50.0 percent from the field (.542) for the ninth time this year... USU had a 32-27 advantage on the boards and has now out-rebounded all but two of its opponents this year... USU recorded 20-plus assists (20) for the sixth time this year and single-digit turnovers (7) for the sixth time this year... USU's five free throw attempts is tied for its fewest in a single game this year.

AGGIES HAVE HELD EACH OF ITS LAST FOUR OPPONENTS UNDER 60 POINTS
Utah State's defense has been dominant as of late as it has held each of its last four opponents to under 60 points, a feat that hasn't been done since the beginning of the 2008-09 season. The last time USU held four straight league opponents under 60 points was during the 2005-06 season when that Aggie team held five straight WAC opponents to less than 60 points.

AGGIES PLAYING GREAT DEFENSE AS OF LATE
Utah State has been playing great defense as of late as it has held its last three opponents to under 37.0 percent shooting from the field and its last four opponents to under 31.0 percent shooting from three-point range. During its last three games, USU is allowing just 49.7 points and its opponents are shooting 32.9 percent from the field (49-149) and 24.1 percent from three-point range (13-54).

AGGIES PLAYING EVEN BETTER DEFENSE IN THE SECOND-HALF IN ITS LAST TWO GAMES
As good as Utah State's defense has been during its last four games, it has been even better during the second-half of its last two games as USU has held its last two opponents to just 20.0 percent overall shooting (10-50) and 12.5 percent shooting from three-point range (2-16) during the second-half of its last two games, while allowing an average of 20.0 points.

AGGIES SHOOT OVER 50 PERCENT IN THREE OF ITS LAST FOUR GAMES
Utah State appears to be executing much better on the offensive end of the floor as of late as it has shot over 50 percent in three of its last four games. During its last four games, USU is shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 46.5 percent from three-point range.

UTAH STATE'S MAGIC NUMBER AS OF LATE HAS BEEN FIVE
Utah State's magic number as of late has been five, as in five made three-pointers. During its last 16 games, USU is 12-0 when making at least five three-pointers in a game, but 0-4 during that time period when it makes less than five treys in a game.

SCOUTING IDAHO
Idaho is 10-10 on the season and 2-6 in the Western Athletic Conference following its 74-59 home win against Fresno State and 87-85 non-conference road win at Seattle last week. The Vandals, who are 4-6 on the road this year, are led by senior guard Mac Hopson who is averaging 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, while fellow senior guard Steffan Johnson is averaging 11.7 points and senior forward Kashif Watson is averaging 11.0 points per game. As a team, Idaho is scoring 72.1 points per game and shooting 47.2 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from three-point range and 67.1 percent at the free throw line. Defensively, UI is allowing 70.6 points and its opponents are shooting 43.3 percent from the field, 33.1 percent from three-point range and 71.6 percent at the free throw line. The Vandals return four starters and six letterwinners from last year's team that went 17-16 overall and finished in a tie for third-place in the WAC with a 9-7 league record. Idaho concluded its year with a 69-59 loss at Pacific in the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The Vandals are coached by Don Verlin who is 27-26 in his second year.

UTAH STATE-IDAHO SERIES
Utah State and Idaho will be meeting for the 44th time this week with the Aggies holding a 31-12 all-time advantage, which includes a 13-1 record at home. The first game played in the series was during the 1945-46 season with the Vandals recording a 55-33 win. Utah State won the first meeting between the two teams this year, 60-48, in Moscow on Jan. 23. The last time Idaho won a game in the series was on Dec. 23, 2004 in Moscow, 69-62, and the only time it won in Logan was on Mar. 1, 2003, 52-51. Overall, USU has won 10 straight games in the series, including six straight at home. The Aggies have also won 26 of the last 29 games played in the series. USU head coach Stew Morrill is 21-3 against Idaho at USU and 24-13 against the Vandals all-time.

VERLIN RETURNS TO UTAH STATE
Idaho head coach Don Verlin spent 10 years as an assistant at Utah State and 15 years as an assistant for USU head coach Stew Morrill at both USU and Colorado State.

VERSUS THE STATE OF IDAHO
Under Coach Morrill, Utah State is 42-7 (.857) versus teams from the state of Idaho, which includes a 13-4 record against Boise State, a 21-3 record against Idaho and an 8-0 record versus Idaho State.

AGGIES FROM THE STATE OF IDAHO
Utah State has one player on its current roster who is from the state of Idaho in sophomore forward Brady Jardine. Jardine prepped at Twin Falls HS and was named the Idaho Gatorade and 5A Player of the Year as a senior in 2005 as he averaged 17.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in leading them to a 24-2 record and the school's first state championship in 32 years.

UTAH STATE IN FEBRUARY
Utah State is 56-24 (.700) in the month of February under Coach Morrill, which includes a 34-4 (.895) record at home. Utah State is also 11-2 (.846) in known games played on Feb. 3 and 21-7 (.750) in games played on Wednesday under Morrill.

VERSUS THE WAC
Utah State is 202-104 (.660) all-time against current members of the WAC and the Aggies have a winning record against every team in the league. In 2006, USU finished in a tie for second-place with an 11-5 league record and advanced to the conference's championship game. In 2007, USU finished in fourth-place with a 9-7 mark and advanced to the WAC Tournament championship game for the second straight year. In 2008, Utah State won a share of its first-ever WAC regular season championship as it went 12-4 during the year. And in 2009, Utah State won its first-ever outright WAC regular season title with a 14-2 league record and its first-ever WAC Tournament championship.

Stew Morrill VERSUS THE WACStew Morrill is 113-77 (.595) all-time in WAC games, which includes a 52-20 (.722) record at Utah State and a 61-57 (.517) record at Colorado State. Morrill is 114-69 (.623) all-time against current members of the WAC, which includes an 85-31 (.733) record at USU.

LAST MEETING AGAINST IDAHO
Utah State's Stew Morrill achieved a coaching milestone at Idaho on Jan. 23 as the Aggies defeated the Vandals, 60-48, to give Morrill his 500th career victory and become one of just 19 active coaches and just the 73rd coach in Division I history to record 500 career wins. Senior guard Jared Quayle led Utah State with 16 points and seven rebounds in the game, to go along with two assists and two steals. Junior forward Tai Wesley added 11 points, six rebounds and four assists, while sophomore forward Brady Jardine had 10 points and six boards. Junior guard Pooh Williams finished with nine points and a season-high five assists, and junior guard Brian Green had eight points. Kashif Watson was the only Idaho player to score in double-figures as he finished the game with 16 points. Utah State broke open a close game early on in the second half as the Aggies went on a 15-2 run from the 17:54 mark to the 10:12 mark. During that stretch, USU went from up three at 37-34 to up 16 at 52-36 as its run began with a layup from Jardine and ended with a jumper from Green. From there on, USU led by double-digits for the remainder of the game as the Vandals could get no closer than 12 points. Utah State finished the game by shooting 50.0 percent overall (25-50), including 33.3 percent from three-point range (5-15) and 62.5 percent at the free throw line (5-8). Idaho shot just 33.3 percent for the game (16-48) and was just 4-of-22 (.182) from the field in the second-half. The Vandals were also just 2-of-14 (.143) from behind the arc in the game, but made 14-of-17 (.824) free throws to keep the game somewhat close. Once again, Utah State continued its dominance on the boards as it out-rebounded the Vandals, 35-23. USU also had 14 assists and just 11 turnovers in the game. Idaho scored the first two points of the game on a layup by Watson for its only lead of the game as Utah State scored the next six points. The Vandals did tie the game at seven-all and trailed by one at 11-10 with 13:21 to play in the half before USU scored nine straight points for its first double-digit lead of the game at 20-10 with 9:37 to play in the half. Idaho chipped away at the deficit and got within four points at 30-26 and went into the locker room down five at 35-30. Quayle led Utah State with 10 first half points, while Williams had seven. USU shot 50.0 percent in the first half (15-30), including 37.5 percent from three-point range (3-8) and 66.7 percent at the free throw line (2-3). Idaho shot 46.2 percent in the first half (12-26), was 2-of-10 (.200) from three-point range and 4-of-5 (.800) at the free throw line.

LAST MEETING AGAINST IDAHO AT HOMEGary Wilkinson's double-double powered Utah State to a 70-61 victory over Idaho in the Aggies' Western Athletic Conference opener on Jan. 5, 2009 in Logan. Wilkinson, a senior forward, tallied 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, logging his second double-double in the last three games and his team-leading third of the season. Junior guard Jared Quayle netted a game-high 18 points while tying a game-best with five assists. Sophomore guard Pooh Williams added 11 points, his second double-digit scoring outing in the last three games. Sophomore guard Tyler Newbold snared seven rebounds while Quayle pulled down six, as the Aggies dominated the rebound count to the tune of 36-19. Idaho had three players in double-digits, led by Kashif Watson's 15 points while Marvin Jefferson and Mac Hopson tossed in 12 each. Brandon Wiley pulled down a team-high six rebounds while Hopson had a Vandal-best five assists and four steals. USU blistered the nets to the pace of 14-of-19 (.737) from the floor in the first half, building a 40-34 halftime lead. The Aggies ended the night at 53.7 percent (22-41), including 7-of-13 (.538) behind the three-point arc. Utah State shot 76.0 percent (19-25) from the free throw line and was 9-of-10 (.900) at the free pitch stripe in the final six minutes of the game, holding off any rally attempt by the Vandals. Idaho was 22-of-50 (.440) field goal shooting, making 5-of-16 (.313) from three-point range, as well as 12-of-19 (.632) at the charity stripe. With the game knotted at 8-8, USU went on a 19-4 run, capped by back-to-back three-pointers from the left wing by junior guard Stavon Williams and Newbold, and the Aggies had a 27-12 lead with 9:52 to play in the first half. Idaho closed to 40-34 at the half, with Jefferson netting eight of his 12 points in the opening stanza. The Aggies opened a 52-43 lead with 11:42 remaining before the Vandals pulled to 54-51 at the 7:16 mark on a Watson layup. That would be the closest Idaho would get, as USU scored five unanswered points, the last three by Quayle from the right wing with 5:28 on the clock, as the Aggies kept the Vandals at bay.

BENDALL MISSES TWO GAMES DUE TO HEART SURGERY
Junior forward Nate Bendall missed two games (Weber State - 12/23; Western Oregon - 12/29) due to heart surgery on December 23 as he had a minor procedure called a heart ablation to treat an atrial flutter. Since returning from his surgery eight games ago, Bendall has scored in double-figures three times and is averaging 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game, while shooting 55.8 percent from the field and 85.0 percent at the free throw line.

BENDALL RECORDS CAREER-HIGHS AGAINST SAN JOSE STATE
Junior forward Nate Bendall had a career night against San Jose State in his last game as he scored a career-high 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting, and added a career-high tying 10 rebounds for his third-ever double-double. Overall, it was the first time in five games and 11th time this year he has scored in double-figures.

JARDINE LEADING THE WAC IN SHOOTING IN LEAGUE GAMES
Sophomore forward Brady Jardine is playing the best basketball of his career during his last eight WAC games as he is averaging 8.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.13 blocks per game, while shooting 68.2 percent from the field (30-44) to rank first in the WAC. Jardine also ranks 10th in the WAC in blocked shots during league games. Prior to WAC play beginning, Jardine played in 14 games and averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds, while shooting 47.1 percent from the field (16-34) in 11.1 minutes.

JARDINE SCORES CAREER-HIGH 17 POINTS AGAINST SAN JOSE STATE
Sophomore forward Brady Jardine continues to play well for Utah State off the bench and scored in double-figures for the fourth time this year, including the third time in his last four games, in his last game against San Jose State as he had a career-high 17 points to go along with five rebounds. During his last five games, Jardine is averaging 10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks, while shooting 68.6 percent from the field (24-35).

GREEN RANKS AMONG THE TOP SHOOTERS IN THE WAC IN LEAGUE GAMES
Junior guard Brian Green has been shooting the ball extremely well during WAC play this year as he ranks first in WAC games in three-point shooting at 68.2 percent (15-22) and is fourth in WAC games in overall shooting at 64.1 percent (25-39). Green, who has scored in double-figures five times this year, is averaging 10.0 points during his last five games, while shooting 61.3 percent from the field (19-31) and 64.7 percent from three-point range (11-17).

WILLIAMS PLAYING WELL DURING HIS LAST SIX GAMES
Junior guard Pooh Williams has played solid basketball for Utah State during his last six games and has scored at least eight points in five of those contests. During his last six games, Williams is averaging 10.3 points, 3.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 51.1 percent from the field (24-47) and 40.0 percent from three-point range (8-20). Overall, Williams has scored at least eight points in 10 games this year and has scored in double-figures six times.

QUAYLE'S DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORING STREAK SNAPPED AT FIVE GAMES
Senior guard Jared Quayle had scored in double-figures in five straight games before scoring just six points against San Jose State. Overall, he has scored in double-figures 13 times this year and 38 times in his career. He also has three 20-point games this year and eight in his career. During his last five games, Quayle is averaging 13.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and is shooting 45.1 percent from the field (23-51), 53.3 percent from three-point range (16-30) and 80.0 percent at the free throw line (4-5).

WESLEY'S DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORING STREAK STOPPED AT FIVE STRAIGHT
Junior forward Tai Wesley had scored in double-figures in each of his last five games before scoring just six points against San Jose State. Overall, Wesley leads the team with 18 double-figure scoring games this year and 62 in his career. During his last five games, Wesley is averaging 11.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 blocks per game, while shooting 51.2 percent from the field (21-41) and 70.0 percent at the free throw line (14-20).

NEWBOLD HAS SCORED IN DOUBLE-FIGURES IN FIVE OF HIS LAST NINE GAMES
Junior guard Tyler Newbold has scored in double-figures for Utah State in five of his last nine games and in 10 games on the season. Overall, Newbold has 30 career double-figure scoring games. During his last five games, Newbold is averaging 6.6 points and 5.8 rebounds, while shooting 33.3 percent from the field (10-30), 31.6 percent from three-point range (6-19) and 87.5 percent at the free throw line (7-8). Newbold has also been one of the best rebounders on the team during the last 10 games as he is averaging 6.1 boards during that stretch to rank second on the team and has grabbed at least five boards in eight of his last 10 games.

AGGIES CONTINUE TO BLOCK SHOTS
Utah State is averaging 3.7 blocks per game on the season, including 4.5 in league games to rank first in the WAC.

DID YOU KNOW?
Utah State is 11-2 this season when senior guard Jared Quayle scores in double-figures, but just 5-4 when he doesn't. Furthermore, USU is 8-1 when Quayle has at least five assists in a game.

MORRILL RECORDS 500TH CAREER WIN
Utah State head coach Stew Morrill became one of just 19 active coaches, and one of just 73 coaches all-time at the Division I level, to record 500 wins when USU defeated Idaho, 60-48, on Jan. 23, 2010 in Moscow. Morrill is now 501-235 (.681) in 24 years as a collegiate head coach and 283-97 (.745) in 12 years at Utah State.

UTAH STATE HAS FOUR OF THE TOP 12 THREE-POINT SHOOTERS IN THE WAC
Utah State, statistically, has four of the top 12 three-point shooters in the Western Athletic Conference as junior guard Brian Green ranks second (.458), senior guard Jared Quayle ranks third (.453), junior guard Pooh Williams ranks 10th (.404) and junior guard Tyler Newbold ranks 12th (.400).

FOUR RETURNING STARTERS IN THE LINEUP
Junior guard Tyler Newbold has started 82 straight games at Utah State, which is the longest streak on the team. Junior forward Tai Wesley has started 62 straight games and 81 of the last 82 overall. Senior guard Jared Quayle has started 55 straight games and junior forward Pooh Williams has started 53 games during his career.

WESLEY RANKS 29TH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN SCORING
Junior forward Tai Wesley scored his 1,000th career point at Nevada on Jan. 13, 2010 to become the 34th player in school history to reach the milestone. Wesley now has 1,054 career points to rank 29th all-time in scoring at USU and is now just 11 points shy of tying Gary Wilkinson (2008-09) for 28th-place with 1,065 career points. In 92 career games, Wesley is averaging 11.46 points.

WESLEY RANKS 24TH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN ASSISTS
Junior forward Tai Wesley recorded his 200th career assist against Western Oregon and currently ranks 24th in school history with 224 career assists. Wesley also has 518 career rebounds and is 24 boards shy of entering the top 20 all-time in school history in that category.

WESLEY RANKS FOURTH ALL-TIME IN BLOCKED SHOTS
In 92 career games, junior forward Tai Wesley ranks fourth all-time at Utah State with 93 career blocks. Wesley is now 24 blocks shy of tying Shawn Daniels (2000-01) for third all-time with 117 blocks. His average of 1.01 blocks per game ranks fourth all-time in school history.

NEWBOLD RANKS SIXTH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN THREE-POINTERS MADE
Junior guard Tyler Newbold has made 132 three-pointers in his Utah State career, which ranks sixth all-time in school history. He also ranks sixth all-time in three-point attempts with 313. Newbold is now 51 made three-pointers shy of tying Justin Jones (1996-98) for fifth-place all-time with 183 made three-pointers and 95 three-point attempts shy of tying Jones for fifth-place all-time with 408 three-point attempts.

NEWBOLD RANKS 22ND ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN ASSISTS
Junior guard Tyler Newbold has 226 assists in his career to rank 22nd all-time in school history. Newbold is now two assists shy of tying Marvin Roberts (1969-71) for 21st-place with 228 career assists.

QUAYLE RANKS SEVENTH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN THREE-POINT SHOOTING
Senior guard Jared Quayle is shooting 41.3 percent from three-point range (102-247) during his USU career to rank fifth all-time in school history.

QUAYLE RANKS EIGHTH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN THREE-POINTERS MADE
Senior guard Jared Quayle ranks eighth all-time at Utah State in three-pointers made with 102 and is in ninth-place all-time with 247 three-point attempts. Quayle is now 10 made three-pointers shy of tying Troy Rolle (1999-2000) for seventh-place in career made three-pointers with 112 and eight three-point attempts shy of tying Curtis Bobb (2000-01) for eighth-place in that category.

QUAYLE RANKS 10TH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN FREE THROW SHOOTING
Senior guard Jared Quayle is shooting 91.1 percent from the free throw line (51-56) this year, which would rank third all-time at Utah State for a single-season behind Tony Brown who shot 92.1 percent during the 1998-99 seasons and Jaycee Carroll who shot 91.9 during the 2007-08 season. Overall, Quayle ranks 10th all-time at USU in free throw shooting at 81.0 percent (145-179).

QUAYLE RANKS 22ND ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN ASSISTS
Senior guard Jared Quayle recorded his 200th career assist against Hawai'i and now ranks 22nd all-time in school history with 226 career assists and is two assists shy of tying Marvin Roberts (1969-71) for 21st-place all-time.

UTAH STATE PLAYER NOTES
#5 Pooh Williams - Scored in double-figures for the sixth time this year and 14th time in his career with 14 points against San Jose State... Had a career-high tying 17 points against Southern Utah... Tied his career-high with six assists against Cal State Fullerton... Made a career-high four three-pointers against SUU... Averaging 8.2 points and 2.6 assists per game, while shooting 45.9 percent from the field, 40.4 percent from three-point range and 50.0 percent at the free throw line... Has started 53 games during his USU career... Ranks 10th in the WAC in three-point shooting.

#12 Brian Green - Scored a season-high 17 points at Fresno State... Had a season-high four rebounds against the Wolverines... Had season-highs with four assists and three steals against Southern Utah... Averaging 6.8 points and shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 45.8 percent from three-point range and 90.9 percent at the free throw line... Ranks second in the WAC in three-point shooting.

#13 Preston Medlin - Scored a career-high 17 points against Southern Utah as he was 5-of-8 from the field and 5-of-6 from three-point range... Averaging 4.1 points and shooting 40.3 percent, including 39.5 percent from three-point range.

#15 Modou Niang - Had career-highs with 13 points and seven rebounds against Weber State... Made his first career start against Western Oregon and played a career-high 26 minutes... Had a season-high two blocks against Southern Utah... Averaging 3.1 points and 1.8 rebounds, while shooting 59.4 percent from the field and 57.1 percent at the free throw line.

#21 Jared Quayle - Scored a career-high 27 points at Utah and tied his career-high with 11 rebounds against the Utes to notch his fourth double-double... Also had 10 rebounds against Northeastern for his fifth-career double-figure rebounding game... Had a season-high seven assists against Boise State, Idaho State and Morehead State... Has scored in double-figures 13 times this year and 38 times in his career... Has eight career 20-point games... Averaging 12.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, while shooting 40.7 percent from the field, 45.3 percent from three-point range and 91.1 percent from the free throw line... Currently ranks first in the WAC in free throw shooting and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.16), is third in three-point shooting, fifth in assists and 15th in scoring... Has started 55 straight games for USU.

#22 Brady Jardine - Scored a career-high 17 points against San Jose State and had a season-high eight rebounds against Idaho State and Hawai'i... Had a season-high two blocks against Utah Valley, Cal State Bakersfield and Fresno State... Has scored in double-figures four times in his career... Averaging 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds, while shooting 59.0 percent from the field and 81.3 percent at the free throw line... Ranks 14th in the WAC in blocked shots (0.73).

#23 Tyrone White - Has played in 13 games this year and is averaging 4.7 minutes per contest... Tied his season-high with two points against Boise State.

#24 Tyler Newbold - Recorded his first career double-double against Western Oregon with 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds... Tied his career-high with 11 boards at Nevada... Averaging 8.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, while shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from three-point range and 85.2 percent at the free throw line... Scored a season-high 15 points at Weber State, and against Morehead State and Hawai'i... Has scored in double-figures 10 times this year and 30 times in his career, including two 20-point games... Has started 82 straight games for USU which is the longest active streak on the team... Ranks 12th in the WAC in three-point shooting.

#25 Jaxon Myaer - Scored a season-high nine points at Northeastern as he tied his career-high with three made treys against the Huskies... Averaging 2.2 points and is shooting 41.0 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from three-point range and 70.0 percent at the free throw line... Has scored in double-figures twice in his career.

#35 Nate Bendall - Had a career-high 20 points to go along with a career-high tying 10 rebounds against San Jose State for his third career double-double... Had a career-high five blocks against Morehead State... Posted his first double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Utah... Had 14 points and 10 rebounds against BYU... Has scored in double-figures 11 times this year... Averaging 10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds, while shooting 57.8 percent from the field and 82.1 percent at the free throw line... Ranks fifth in the WAC in field goal shooting, eighth in free throw shooting and 11th in blocked shots (1.00).

#42 Tai Wesley - Scored a season-high 22 points at Long Beach State.... Recorded his first double-double of the season at Cal State Bakersfield as he had 15 points and a season-high 10 rebounds... Averaging 13.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 71.6 percent from the free throw line... Has scored in double-figures 18 times this year and 62 times in his career... Has scored 20-plus points six times in his career and has seven double-doubles... Has started 62 straight games and 81 of its last 82 overall... Ranks sixth in the WAC in field goal shooting, seventh in blocked shots (1.41), 10th in rebounding and 14th in scoring.

#44 Matt Formisano - Made his first career start against Weber State... Scored a season-high seven points against Morehead State... Had a season-high four rebounds against BYU and Saint Mary's... Averaging 3.1 points and 1.8 rebounds, while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 80.0 percent at the free throw line.

AGGIES GETTING SOLID PRODUCTION FROM ITS BENCH
Utah State is 13-3 on the year when its bench out-scores its opponent's bench and 3-3 when its bench is out-scored. Overall, USU's bench is averaging 21.5 points (472) and 9.1 rebounds (200) and had season-highs of 39 points against Southern Utah and 18 rebounds versus Idaho State.

UTAH STATE PLAYING SOLID DEFENSE WITHOUT FOULING
One of Utah State's trademarks under head coach Stew Morrill is to play solid defense without fouling and that is exactly what this year's team is doing. During its first three games of the year, USU was averaging 20.7 fouls per game, but during its last 19 games it is averaging just 16.1 fouls and had a season-low 10 fouls against Western Oregon. On the season, USU is 8-0 when it commits fewer fouls than its opponents.

UTAH STATE RANKS 15TH IN THE NATION IN TURNOVERS PER GAME
After averaging 16.3 turnovers during its first three games, Utah State is averaging just 10.3 turnovers during its last 19 games and just 11.1 turnovers per game on the season which ranks 15th in the nation. Overall, USU has committed single-digit turnovers in six games this year.

UTAH STATE IN CLOSE GAMES
Utah State is 0-4 on the season in games decided by five or fewer points as it lost to Utah by one point (68-67), Northeastern by three points (64-61), New Mexico State by three points (55-52) and Saint Mary's by five points (68-63). Prior to its one point loss to Marquette (58-57) in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, Utah State had won 10 of its previous 12 games decided by two or fewer points including five straight wins in games decided by just one point.

UTAH STATE FOLLOWING A LOSS
Utah State is 4-2 this year and 56-18 (.757) over the last 11 years following a loss, and has dropped back-to-back games just 15 times during that time period. The last time USU lost three straight games was during the 2007-08 season when it dropped road games at Nevada (85-80), Hawai'i (71-66) and San Jose State (70-67). Overall, USU has lost three consecutive games just once in the last 11 years.

UTAH STATE FROM THREE-POINT RANGE
Utah State has made at least one three-point basket in 117 straight games and the last time USU did not make a three-pointer in a game was on Dec. 16, 2006 in Provo as BYU defeated the Aggies, 75-62. USU entered that game having made at least one three-pointer in 127 games dating back to Dec. 14, 2002 when BYU held USU without a three-pointer in a 66-56 win in Provo.

UTAH STATE RECORDS LARGEST CONFERENCE VICTORY EVER AGAINST HAWAI'I
Utah State's 44-point win against Hawai'i (98-54) on Jan. 11, 2010 marked the largest conference victory in school history, bettering the 39-point victory win against Montana State (50-11) in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game during the 1918-19 season. The 44-point win against Hawai'i is also USU's largest margin of victory since defeating Loyola Marymount by 45 points (87-42) on Dec. 30, 2004. USU's previous largest margin of victory in a WAC game was 38 points when it won at Idaho, 80-42, on Feb. 15, 2006.

AGGIES ON THE ROAD
Utah State is 81-68 (.544) on the road under head coach Stew Morrill, which includes a 57-40 (.588) record against conference opponents and a 20-17 (.541) WAC record. During the last three years, Utah State is 16-8 (.667) on the road and 18-10 (.643) away from home.

UTAH STATE AMONG THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY
Over the last 11 years, Utah State has been one of the best basketball programs in the country, recording a 268-84 (.761) record. Those 268 wins are the 10th-most in the country, while the 76.1 percent winning percentage is fourth-best behind Duke (.828), Kansas (.812), and Gonzaga (.801). USU has also been among the top teams in the country in field goal and free throw shooting as it led the nation in both categories during the 2008 season, and led the nation in field goal shooting in 2009 at 49.6 percent.

UTAH STATE IN THE WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Since joining the Western Athletic Conference prior to the 2005-06 season, Utah State has been one of the most consistent programs in the league and has the second-best record in WAC games during the last five years with a 52-20 (.722) mark. During its first four years in the league, Utah State has won two regular season championships (2008, 2009), one tournament championship (2009), and has played in the tournament championship game three times (2006, 2007, 2009).

AGGIES LEAD THE NATION IN SHOOTING FOR SECOND STRAIGHT SEASON
Utah State shot 49.6 percent from the field during the 2008-09 season to lead the nation for the second straight year (USU shot 51.4 percent in 2008 to lead the nation). USU also led the nation in field goal shooting during the 2004-05 season as it shot 52.5 percent. Utah State is the first team to lead the nation in shooting in consecutive seasons since UCLA did it in 1996 and 1997, and just the eighth team in the history of the NCAA to accomplish the feat. George Washington is the only school to lead the nation in three straight years as it accomplished that feat from 1954-56. USU's current run of being the top shooting team in the nation in three of the last five years is the best-ever streak in the history of NCAA Division I basketball.

UTAH STATE'S FALL SIGNING CLASS RANKED BEST IN THE WAC BY ESPN.COM
Utah State's fall recruiting class has been tabbed as the best in the WAC according to ESPN.com. The results are based solely on high school players. Utah State announced three players during the early signing period including a pair of prep stars in Ben Clifford and James Walker. USU also signed one junior college player in Brockeith Pane. Clifford is a 6-8, 215-pound senior forward at Bingham High School in South Jordan, Utah and Walker is a 6-2, 180-pound senior guard at Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, Calif. Both players will enroll as freshman at USU in the fall of 2010. Scouts Inc.'s Paul Biancardi, Joel Francisco, Reggie Rankin, Michael LaPlante, John Stovall and Adam Finkelstein all contributed to the ESPN.com report.

AGGIES WIN OLD OQUIRRH BUCKET FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR AND NINTH TIME OVERALL
Following its 85-73 win against Weber State on Dec. 23, Utah State's men's basketball team finished the 2009-10 season with a 5-1 record against in-state opponents to win the Old Oquirrh Bucket for the second-straight season and ninth time overall. Utah State's other in-state wins this year include victories against Weber State (66-60), Southern Utah (89-49), Brigham Young (71-61) and Utah Valley (87-56), while its only loss was at Utah (68-67). The Old Oquirrh Bucket (named after the Oquirrh Mountains located to the west of Salt Lake City) is the symbol of in-state basketball supremacy in Utah. Every year since the 1974-75 season the trophy has been awarded to the in-state college team (Brigham Young, Southern Utah, Utah, Utah State, Utah Valley and Weber State), which has the best winning percentage against in-state competition. Of Utah State's nine Old Oquirrh Bucket titles, four have come under the direction of current head coach Stew Morrill (2002, 2005, 2009, 2010). USU also won the title three straight years under Rod Tueller (1983, 1984, 1985) and Dutch Belnap's 1975 and 1976 teams won the first two titles in the trophies history. Utah has won the bucket 14 times, followed by Utah State and BYU with nine victories each, and Weber State with four.

AGGIES WILL HOST WICHITA STATE IN ESPNU BRACKETBUSTER GAME
Utah State will host Missouri Valley Conference member Wichita State in the eighth annual ESPNU BracketBusters on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 9:59 p.m. (MT), in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPN2. USU's contest against the Shockers will be one of 11 games televised on the ESPN family of networks. Utah State is 3-1 all-time in BracketBuster games as it defeated Northwestern State (66-63) at home during the 2005-06 season, won at Oral Roberts (71-65) during the 2006-07 campaign, defeated UC Santa Barbara (72-59) at home during the 2007-08 season and lost at Saint Mary's (75-64) last year. Wichita State is 19-4 on the season and in second-place in the Missouri Valley Conference with an 8-3 league record. The Shockers, who are 5-3 on the road this year, return three starters and seven letterwinners from last year's team that went 17-17 and finished tied for fifth-place in the MVC with an 8-10 league record. Utah State and Wichita State will be meeting for the 10th time with the Aggies owning a 5-4 all-time advantage. The last time the two teams played one another was on Nov. 24, 1995 in Hilo, Hawai'i as the Shockers won in double overtime, 63-61. This will be just the second time that WSU has traveled to Logan, as USU defeated Wichita State, 102-83, on Dec. 16, 1967 at the old Nelson Fieldhouse. All nine Western Athletic Conference teams will be involved in this year's event. Other televised games involving WAC schools include Nevada at Missouri State, Louisiana Tech at Northeastern and New Mexico State at Pacific.

QUAYLE NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior guard Jared Quayle was named the Verizon Wireless Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week it was announced by the league office Jan. 18, 2010. It is the first time this year and second time in his career that Quayle has been awarded the league's top weekly honor. It is also the second time this year that USU has earned WAC Player of the Week accolades as junior forward Tai Wesley was honored on Dec. 28, 2009. Quayle led Utah State to a 3-0 record during the week with home wins against Hawai'i (98-54) and Boise State (81-59), and an overtime win at Nevada (79-72). Quayle's best game of the week was against Nevada as he scored 21 points to go along with seven rebounds, five assists and one steal in 42 minutes. Against the Wolf Pack, Quayle was 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range. He also had 11 points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals against the Rainbow Warriors in just 22 minutes. He then finished his week with 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in just 28 minutes against the Broncos. For the week, Quayle averaged 14.0 points, 5.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 55.2 percent from the field (16-29), 53.8 percent from three-point range (7-13) and was 3-of-3 at the free throw line.

WESLEY NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior forward Tai Wesley was named the Verizon Wireless Western Athletic Conference player of the week on Dec. 28 after leading the Aggies to wins against Morehead State (79-72), Cal State Fullerton (83-60) and Weber State (85-73) in its own Basketball Travelers Invitational last week en route to earning Most Valuable Player honors. It is the first time in his career Wesley has been awarded the league's top weekly honor. Against the Eagles, Wesley had 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals, as he was 6-of-8 from the field and 6-of-9 at the free throw line. Against the Titans, he scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and had a season-high three blocks. And against the Wildcats, he scored 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 shooting at the free throw line, to go along with eight rebounds and a season-high six assists. For the tournament, Wesley averaged 16.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 blocks per game, while shooting 65.4 percent from the field (17-26) and 69.6 percent at the free throw line (16-23).

THE MORRILL COACHING TREE
Utah State head coach Stew Morrill currently has five former assistants who are head coaches at the Division I level, which ranks tied for the fourth-most by any current Division I coach in college basketball. Morrill's former assistants who are current head coaches include Terry Dunn (Dartmouth), Jeff Jackson (Furman), Randy Rahe (Weber State), Blaine Taylor (Old Dominion) and Don Verlin (Idaho). Arizona State's Herb Sendek has the most assistants who are currently Division I head coaches with eight, followed by Louisville's Rick Pitino with seven and Connecticut's Jim Calhoun with six. Other coaches with five assistants as current Division I head coaches include Ben Braun of Rice, Tom Izzo of Michigan State and Jay Wright of Villanova.

UTAH STATE GRADUATES WAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR AGAIN
Utah State lost three lettermen from last season, including one starter in Gary Wilkinson who was named the WAC's Player of the Year as he averaged 17.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, and shot 58.0 percent from the field and 82.6 percent from the free throw line. USU also lost the WAC Player of the Year in 2008 in guard Jaycee Carroll who averaged 22.4 points and 6.0 rebounds, and shot 52.6 percent from the field, 49.6 percent from three-point range and 91.9 percent from the free throw line.

HEAD COACH Stew Morrill
In his 24th season as a collegiate head coach and 12th year at Utah State, Stew Morrill has taken the Aggie Basketball program to unprecedented heights leading it to an incredible 283-97 (.745) record, including a 144-48 (.750) conference mark in the Big West and WAC. Morrill became the winningest coach in school history on Jan. 17, 2008 in the Aggies' 82-78 win against Boise State, passing E. Lowell Romney (1920-41) who won 225 games in 22 seasons. In his first 11 years at USU, Morrill has guided the Aggies to 10 straight 23-win seasons and 10 straight postseason appearances (NCAA-6, NIT-4), both of which are school records. Morrill has also led Utah State to the fourth-best winning percentage in the nation during the last 11 years at 76.1 percent with an overall record of 268-84. Against conference opponents, Utah State has a 165-54 record with five regular season league championships and five tournament titles during that time, including appearances in its league's tournament championship game eight times in the last 10 years. Under Morrill, Utah State has notched 10 of the top 12 seasons in school history during the last 10 years as the Aggies set a school record with 28 wins during the 2000 season, tied that record with 28 wins during the 2001 season, and set a new school record with 30 wins in 2009. During the 2008-09 season, Morrill guided Utah State to its second straight Western Athletic Conference regular season championship and its first WAC Tournament title. The 2008-09 Aggie basketball team also led the nation in field goal shooting at 49.6 percent, marking the second straight year and the third time in the last last five years that USU has led the nation in that category. For the 10th straight year, USU had at least one player earn first-team all-league accolades as Gary Wilkinson was named the WAC Player of the Year in 2009, while Jaycee Carroll was named the league's MVP in 2008. Overall, Morrill has coached 11 first-team all-league players at Utah State who have won the award a total of 16 times. Morrill has also taken full advantage of the home court at USU, the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. In Morrill's 12 years, USU is an amazing 170-13 (.929) at home, which includes an 87-8 (.916) record in league play. As for Morrill, he has won 20 or more games on 14 different occasions during his career, and he has won at least 17 games 20 times. Overall, Morrill ranks 19th in the nation among active coaches and 73rd all-time with his 501 career wins, while his career winning percentage of 68.1 percent ranks 28th among active coaches and 100th all-time. He is also one of just 13 active coaches to notch at least 14 20-win seasons. His current streak of 10 straight 20-win seasons ranks ninth among active coaches and is tied for the 13th-longest streak ever at the Division I level. Morrill has also been named Coach of the Year (2000 BWC, 2002 BWC, 2009 WAC) three times in his 11 years at USU, along with winning the Big Sky award while the head coach at Montana in 1991. His overall coaching record is 501-235 (.681).